Ken Black loves the fact that he has the opportunity to go out each season and play some softball.

For 46 years, since he was 14, Black has taken part in an adult softball league.

Now a member of Badfish, a men's division squad in the Siskiyou Family YMCA Adult Softball League, Black enjoys going out and using his veteran's savvy against players who were not even born yet, "or were still in their diapers" when he first started playing.

"It's always fun to compete and get to know everyone,"he said.

The softball league, which has both a coed and a men's division, began in the middle of May, with the regular season concluding next week, followed by the playoffs. The games are played three to four nights a week at Miner Street Park.

This year, there are 12 coed teams and eight men's teams with more than 300 players 18-and-older taking part said league commissioner Kellen Mehrmann.

The league gives adults in the area a chance to take part in a sport during the late spring and summer months and have a positive activity to participate in, he said.

"It's cool to have everyone get together and come out and have fun," Kellen said. "It gets everyone out of the house."

It's also nice to see so many families out cheering for the teams each night, he said.

On Tuesday evening there was a fair amount of fans who loudly yelled and cheered for their teams.

Don Super is a member of the Karuk Tribe coed squad and also umpires games.

To Super, playing some softball is a great way to get together with friends and family members and have something fun to take part in each year.

While players want to do well and are competitive, Super said that overall it's a fun and relaxing atmosphere when he is umpiring games.

"I can talk to the players and joke with them," Super said.

John Crovelle, a member of the Yreka Transfer men's squad, has been taking part in adult softball in Yreka for more than 20 years.

As he and his teammates laughed and joked around before Tuesday's game versus Badfish, John said that he enjoys playing with this group and having the opportunity to play a game he loves. And, taking part insports "teaches you how to win and how to lose," Crovelle added.

His teammate, Trevor Super, who is the nephew of Don Super said it's a great league to play in.

"It's fun to go out and play with your friends and relatives and have some friendly competition," Trevor stated.